Des restes organiques ont pu être documentés dans le tumulus de La Tène ancienne d’Altrier au Lux... more Des restes organiques ont pu être documentés dans le tumulus de La Tène ancienne d’Altrier au Luxembourg. Une fourrure de mouton, empoissée de résine, obturait le stamnos. Trois textiles différents en laine étaient déposés dessus : un sergé 2/2 uni rouge teint au kermès, auquel était cousu un galon aux planchettes, également teint en rouge, avec décor en « soumak » indigo bleu (pastel). Des coutures montrent qu’il s’agissait d’un vêtement, probablement une tunique ouverte avec un galon à l’enco- lure. S’y ajoute une ceinture étroite tissée aux planchettes (à trois trous) à fond bleu (pastel) avec des svastikas rouges (kermès). La crémation, qui n’est pas une tradition locale à La Tène ancienne en pays trévire, et le stamnos étrusque scellé ont mené à une hypothèse : le défunt, un guerrier, serait décédé en Toscane où il aurait été incinéré avant d’être rapatrié à Altrier.
Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe - HAL - Inrap, Sep 29, 2021
International audiencen 2002, quatre tombes du VIe siècle d’une richesse exceptionnelle sont déco... more International audiencen 2002, quatre tombes du VIe siècle d’une richesse exceptionnelle sont découvertes à Saint-Dizier : deux inhumations masculines, une sépulture féminine et une tombe de cheval. Ces inhumations présentent un mobilier et des pratiques funéraires qui dénotent un statut élevé ainsi que des influences franques, ce qui permet de les rattacher au faciès archéologique des tombes dites « de chefs francs » du début du VIe siècle (Périn 1997 ; Truc 2019).La jeune femme, âgée de 18-20 ans, a été inhumée habillée dans un cercueil cloué, avec une riche parure et de la vaisselle. La nature argileuse du terrain a permis d’entretenir une atmosphère humide propice à la conservation d’éléments organiques et à leur minéralisation au contact des objets métalliques. Cette découverte était inattendue et il a fallu rapidement mettre en place un protocole de fouille et d’enregistrement, qui, à défaut d’être optimal, devait être le plus satisfaisant possible eu égard aux contraintes de temps et de météorologie. L’apport conjoint des observations taphonomiques, des analyses des restes organiques ainsi que des études du mobilier, permet de proposer une reconstitution de l’habillement de la jeune femme et une interprétation chrono-culturelle
Celtic graves have been found in the centre of Zürich (Switzerland). One of them, a female grave,... more Celtic graves have been found in the centre of Zürich (Switzerland). One of them, a female grave, which was found recently, revealed textiles and furs. By isotopes and dental analyses, the environment and the physical living conditions have been explored.
Une fouille de sauvetage menee a Sion en 1998 a permis de mettre a jour une tombe feminine datant... more Une fouille de sauvetage menee a Sion en 1998 a permis de mettre a jour une tombe feminine datant des dernieres decennies avant notre ere. La jeune femme d'environ 25 ans avait ete inhumee dans un sarcophage fait d'un tronc d'arbre evide et etait accompagnee d'un riche mobilier. On remarque en outre la presence conjointe d'objets de parure masculins (fibules militaires) d'origine slovene et feminins (anneaux de pieds), un vetement de parme de type masculin, ainsi qu'une offrande en monnaie qui semble temoigner d'une coutume etrangere. Ces elements posent la question de l'identite de cette femme. Sont-ils le temoignage de relations commerciales a longue distance ? Indiquent-ils son rang social ou politique ? Ou bien s'agit-il d'une etrangere qui aurait adopte le port des parures locales ?
Study of 3-dimensional structures of textiles, from the Neolithic period to the end of the Early ... more Study of 3-dimensional structures of textiles, from the Neolithic period to the end of the Early medieval Period
A new examination of the textile fragments found in the Merovingian burials in the basilica of Sa... more A new examination of the textile fragments found in the Merovingian burials in the basilica of Saint Denis, near Paris, has recently underscored the diversity of fabrics used to make garments in which members of the royal court were buried. Among them, some woolens of fine quality had been dyed with indigotin. The most astonishing fibre found belongs to a mixed textile (not skin) with beaver fibers and wool. Silks contained shellfish purple and in one case kermes? Two dyestuffs associated with royalty and privilege. Along with this was large number of gold threads, probably produced locally and that were used in tablet-woven borders or for embroideries. In addition, several figured silks, of oriental origin, testify to the importance of this "foreign" material and the taste for textiles woven with complex techniques and probably what had originally had beautiful designs. Although none of these designs have been preserved and many colors have been greatly damaged, the techn...
En 2002, des fouilles menees par Marie-Cecile Truc (Inrap) a Saint-Dizier ont permis la decouvert... more En 2002, des fouilles menees par Marie-Cecile Truc (Inrap) a Saint-Dizier ont permis la decouverte de trois tombes d’une richesse exceptionnelle – une femme, deux hommes et un cheval – datees du deuxieme quart du VIe siecle. Ces tombes presentent des caracteristiques qui tranchent avec les rites funeraires habituellement observes dans la region : chambres de type Morken, inhumation de cheval, epees a anneaux, etc. Ces elements incitent a rattacher les tombes de Saint-Dizier au facies archeologique des tombes dites « de chefs francs » du debut du VIe siecle, interpretees comme des temoins archeologiques de l’expansion franque. Les inhumes de Saint-Dizier sont-ils des Francs emigres ou bien des Gallo-Romains de souche s’etant eleves dans la hierarchie guerriere et assimiles aux coutumes franques ? La question ne se pose pas forcement en termes ethniques mais plutot en termes d’identite sociale et politique. Le faste et le rituel de ces inhumations refletent une culture materielle part...
Dans l'antiquite, il existait un artisanat du textile de haute qualite. En plus des articles ... more Dans l'antiquite, il existait un artisanat du textile de haute qualite. En plus des articles courants, la production comprenait aussi certaines sortes de tissus speciaux. Le commerce se pratiquait sur de grandes distances et atteignait toutes les provinces de l'Empire. En outre, les besoins des troupes romaines favorisaient la production de textiles. Le cheminement de la laine, materiau de base, jusqu'a la livraison des produits textiles finis, passait par differentes phases et techniques. Les artisans specialistes de la manufacture formaient des organisations professionnelles (guildes). La distribution commerciale se faisait par des marchands, par exemple les Negotiatores cisalpin et transalpini (negociants cisalpins et transalpins). Les routes du commerce passaient, en voiture par les voies romaines et en bateau par les fleuves et les mers. Des mulets traversaient les cols des Alpes. Les connaissances sur l'industrie textile de l'epoque romaine sont basees d...
Des restes organiques ont pu être documentés dans le tumulus de La Tène ancienne d’Altrier au Lux... more Des restes organiques ont pu être documentés dans le tumulus de La Tène ancienne d’Altrier au Luxembourg. Une fourrure de mouton, empoissée de résine, obturait le stamnos. Trois textiles différents en laine étaient déposés dessus : un sergé 2/2 uni rouge teint au kermès, auquel était cousu un galon aux planchettes, également teint en rouge, avec décor en « soumak » indigo bleu (pastel). Des coutures montrent qu’il s’agissait d’un vêtement, probablement une tunique ouverte avec un galon à l’enco- lure. S’y ajoute une ceinture étroite tissée aux planchettes (à trois trous) à fond bleu (pastel) avec des svastikas rouges (kermès). La crémation, qui n’est pas une tradition locale à La Tène ancienne en pays trévire, et le stamnos étrusque scellé ont mené à une hypothèse : le défunt, un guerrier, serait décédé en Toscane où il aurait été incinéré avant d’être rapatrié à Altrier.
Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe - HAL - Inrap, Sep 29, 2021
International audiencen 2002, quatre tombes du VIe siècle d’une richesse exceptionnelle sont déco... more International audiencen 2002, quatre tombes du VIe siècle d’une richesse exceptionnelle sont découvertes à Saint-Dizier : deux inhumations masculines, une sépulture féminine et une tombe de cheval. Ces inhumations présentent un mobilier et des pratiques funéraires qui dénotent un statut élevé ainsi que des influences franques, ce qui permet de les rattacher au faciès archéologique des tombes dites « de chefs francs » du début du VIe siècle (Périn 1997 ; Truc 2019).La jeune femme, âgée de 18-20 ans, a été inhumée habillée dans un cercueil cloué, avec une riche parure et de la vaisselle. La nature argileuse du terrain a permis d’entretenir une atmosphère humide propice à la conservation d’éléments organiques et à leur minéralisation au contact des objets métalliques. Cette découverte était inattendue et il a fallu rapidement mettre en place un protocole de fouille et d’enregistrement, qui, à défaut d’être optimal, devait être le plus satisfaisant possible eu égard aux contraintes de temps et de météorologie. L’apport conjoint des observations taphonomiques, des analyses des restes organiques ainsi que des études du mobilier, permet de proposer une reconstitution de l’habillement de la jeune femme et une interprétation chrono-culturelle
Celtic graves have been found in the centre of Zürich (Switzerland). One of them, a female grave,... more Celtic graves have been found in the centre of Zürich (Switzerland). One of them, a female grave, which was found recently, revealed textiles and furs. By isotopes and dental analyses, the environment and the physical living conditions have been explored.
Une fouille de sauvetage menee a Sion en 1998 a permis de mettre a jour une tombe feminine datant... more Une fouille de sauvetage menee a Sion en 1998 a permis de mettre a jour une tombe feminine datant des dernieres decennies avant notre ere. La jeune femme d'environ 25 ans avait ete inhumee dans un sarcophage fait d'un tronc d'arbre evide et etait accompagnee d'un riche mobilier. On remarque en outre la presence conjointe d'objets de parure masculins (fibules militaires) d'origine slovene et feminins (anneaux de pieds), un vetement de parme de type masculin, ainsi qu'une offrande en monnaie qui semble temoigner d'une coutume etrangere. Ces elements posent la question de l'identite de cette femme. Sont-ils le temoignage de relations commerciales a longue distance ? Indiquent-ils son rang social ou politique ? Ou bien s'agit-il d'une etrangere qui aurait adopte le port des parures locales ?
Study of 3-dimensional structures of textiles, from the Neolithic period to the end of the Early ... more Study of 3-dimensional structures of textiles, from the Neolithic period to the end of the Early medieval Period
A new examination of the textile fragments found in the Merovingian burials in the basilica of Sa... more A new examination of the textile fragments found in the Merovingian burials in the basilica of Saint Denis, near Paris, has recently underscored the diversity of fabrics used to make garments in which members of the royal court were buried. Among them, some woolens of fine quality had been dyed with indigotin. The most astonishing fibre found belongs to a mixed textile (not skin) with beaver fibers and wool. Silks contained shellfish purple and in one case kermes? Two dyestuffs associated with royalty and privilege. Along with this was large number of gold threads, probably produced locally and that were used in tablet-woven borders or for embroideries. In addition, several figured silks, of oriental origin, testify to the importance of this "foreign" material and the taste for textiles woven with complex techniques and probably what had originally had beautiful designs. Although none of these designs have been preserved and many colors have been greatly damaged, the techn...
En 2002, des fouilles menees par Marie-Cecile Truc (Inrap) a Saint-Dizier ont permis la decouvert... more En 2002, des fouilles menees par Marie-Cecile Truc (Inrap) a Saint-Dizier ont permis la decouverte de trois tombes d’une richesse exceptionnelle – une femme, deux hommes et un cheval – datees du deuxieme quart du VIe siecle. Ces tombes presentent des caracteristiques qui tranchent avec les rites funeraires habituellement observes dans la region : chambres de type Morken, inhumation de cheval, epees a anneaux, etc. Ces elements incitent a rattacher les tombes de Saint-Dizier au facies archeologique des tombes dites « de chefs francs » du debut du VIe siecle, interpretees comme des temoins archeologiques de l’expansion franque. Les inhumes de Saint-Dizier sont-ils des Francs emigres ou bien des Gallo-Romains de souche s’etant eleves dans la hierarchie guerriere et assimiles aux coutumes franques ? La question ne se pose pas forcement en termes ethniques mais plutot en termes d’identite sociale et politique. Le faste et le rituel de ces inhumations refletent une culture materielle part...
Dans l'antiquite, il existait un artisanat du textile de haute qualite. En plus des articles ... more Dans l'antiquite, il existait un artisanat du textile de haute qualite. En plus des articles courants, la production comprenait aussi certaines sortes de tissus speciaux. Le commerce se pratiquait sur de grandes distances et atteignait toutes les provinces de l'Empire. En outre, les besoins des troupes romaines favorisaient la production de textiles. Le cheminement de la laine, materiau de base, jusqu'a la livraison des produits textiles finis, passait par differentes phases et techniques. Les artisans specialistes de la manufacture formaient des organisations professionnelles (guildes). La distribution commerciale se faisait par des marchands, par exemple les Negotiatores cisalpin et transalpini (negociants cisalpins et transalpins). Les routes du commerce passaient, en voiture par les voies romaines et en bateau par les fleuves et les mers. Des mulets traversaient les cols des Alpes. Les connaissances sur l'industrie textile de l'epoque romaine sont basees d...
Mémoires de l'Association française d'archéologie mérovingienne, 2008
À l’occasion de fouilles sur une partie de cimetière du haut Moyen Âge, la ville de Louviers a ét... more À l’occasion de fouilles sur une partie de cimetière du haut Moyen Âge, la ville de Louviers a été complétement réexaminée, tant du point de vue historique qu’archéologique. Située sur l’Eure, non loin de la confluence avec la Seine, elle est le siège d’une petite agglomération antique. Entre le début du Ve - et le début du VIIIe s., de nombreuses inhumations sont pratiquées rue du Mûrier. L’abandon progressif de cette nécropole coïncide avec l’apparition d’un cimetière dans le secteur de Saint-Martin, sanctuaire dont l’origine remonte probablement au haut Moyen Âge.
Les 154 tombes fouillées rue du Mûrier entre 2000 et 2005 ont fait l’objet d’une analyse approfondie. L’anthropologie biologique caractérise cette population essentiellement par son état sanitaire et ses activités, et fournit des pistes pour les études comparatives. L’attention portée aux pratiques funéraires, à travers l’anthropologie « de terrain » est fructueuse : mise en évidence de lits, brancards ou coffres à l'intérieur de coffrages de bois, et d'éléments périssables (coussins céphaliques, matelas, végétaux, vêtements ou linceuls, chaussures). Les restes textiles, parmi lesquels un exceptionnel fragment de soie, complètent cette approche. Le mobilier, relativement abondant, témoigne d'échanges avec le secteur rhénan, l'Angleterre saxonne et les territoires wisigothiques. Outre des comparaisons typologiques, un bilan régional, parfois élargi, est proposé par type d’objet : fréquence, position, répartition par sexe… Quelques bijoux remarquables ont été étudiés du point de vue des techniques d’orfèvrerie et de la provenance des matériaux.
Cette étude du site funéraire enrichit la réflexion sur le devenir des agglomérations secondaires antiques. Les caractères particuliers de cette population, de ses pratiques et de son mobilier sont définis. Ces données matérielles sont mises en regard avec les sources écrites, afin de percevoir la nature de l’occupation à Louviers au haut Moyen Âge.
Ö. Tunca, A. el Massih Baghdo (eds.), Chagar Bazar (Syrie (IV), Les tombes ordinaire de l’âge du Bronze ancien et moyen des chantiers D–F–H–I (1999–2011), Louvain-Paris-Bristol 2018, pp. 11–32, 2018
The analyses of the middle bronze Age textiles gave important results concerning the techniques u... more The analyses of the middle bronze Age textiles gave important results concerning the techniques used, the colours and the fibres.
Archaeological research of the area around Lake Pfäffikon is closely linked to the Zurich Oberla... more Archaeological research of the area around Lake Pfäffikon is closely linked to the Zurich Oberland farmer Jakob Messikommer (1828–1917). The son of ordinary farming folk, he was brought up in Wetzikon and showed a keen interest in history and the natural sciences from an early age. His discovery of an important wetland settlement in the peat bog at Robenhausen (1858) laid the foundation for an unequalled career in research, which culminated in Messikommer being awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Zurich in 1893. His archaeological and research historical legacy is in many respects a treasure trove, which is second to none. Firstly, the old documents contain innumerable details about his excavations and, secondly, the research historical environment of the ‘pile-dwelling researcher’ and ‘antiquary’ can be reconstructed in extraordinary detail. Both of these facts make Jakob Messikommer’s estate one of the most important in terms of its scientific value.
Wetzikon-Robenhausen
The core of this publication is the analysis of the excavation records and finds from the wetland settlements at Wetzikon-Robenhausen. These were explored by Messikommer in a series of excavations spanning almost sixty years and presented to a worldwide audience in numerous publications. Not only did he tirelessly monitor the alterations to the course of the River Aa, thus preserving a multitude of important finds for posterity, but he also made a significant contribution towards the establishment of the neighbouring disciplines archaeozoology and archaeobotany by consistently recovering biological remains. Numerous written documents provide a unique opportunity to reconstruct Messikommer’s excavations in Robenhausen. In so doing, we were able to associate many outstanding finds with particular excavation campaigns and thus with certain locations so that old finds have regained a certain degree of archaeological context, which was thought to have been lost. Messikommer’s commercial activities with all aspects of conserving and networking could also be reconstructed in an extraordinarily detailed manner. This means that the finds which were sold to museums here and abroad in order to fund the excavations can be viewed in a different light today. The finds from the 19th century excavations now play a completely different role as carriers of research historical and conservational information. Thanks to the various data collected in the context of a site inventory compiled in the 1990s, it was possible to compare some of Messikommer’s findings with newly gathered field data. This comparison revealed that his records were very reliable and are indeed suitable as starting points for future research endeavours. This compatibility between the old and the new excavation data is all the more surprising, given the great complexity of the stratigraphy in Robenhausen due to the outstanding state of preservation of the organic components within the layers. We were able to reconstruct a rough image of the settlement sequence based on the old excavation records, the data and the old finds. The earliest deposits dated from the Early Pfyn Culture. These were followed by settlement remains from the Middle and Late Pfyn Cultures, the Horgen Culture, the Corded Ware period and finally the Early and Late Bronze Ages. This settlement sequence is partially supported by radiocarbon and dendrochronological dates. An assemblage of loom weights recorded in situ is particularly worth noting. It was found in 1999 in a burnt layer associated with almost 30 textile fragments. It is quite likely that this was a Pfyn-period weaving frame, which had been destroyed during a conflagration and had collapsed on top of a multitude of finished and half-finished textile products. Various archaeological and archaeobotanical features indicated that a surplus of textiles may have possibly been produced in the Pfyn Culture. Several separate accumulations of wild animal bones (aurochs, European bison, badger, marten, hedgehog, deer) point to a hitherto rarely documented kind of waste disposal in the Pfyn Culture. Particularly noteworthy were two features with aurochs and European bison bones, as they were found in association with human skull remains. The rich assemblage of finds represented the entire known range of organic and inorganic remains usually found in Northern Alpine wetland settlements. Outstanding finds were Pfyn-period crucibles, numerous perforated axes made of rock, axes made of antler as well as wooden artefacts, including several unique implements. A large number of textile finds from the earlier excavations were also of immense importance.
Wetzikon-Himmerich
This wetland settlement on the southern shore of Lake Pfäffikon was discovered by Jakob Messikommer in the late 1850s and has become known in research circles thanks to a small assemblage of Middle Neolithic potsherds. Apart from these, hardly any relevant information about the site has been presented up to now. Gathered up in the 19th and 20th centuries, many of the finds are not easily accessible, which means that they can only be presented in a summarising overview. The assemblage includes artefacts from the Middle Neolithic Grossgartach group, the Cortaillod and Horgen Cultures as well as from the Late Bronze Age. Some rather undiagnostic shards may point to a Pfyn-period settlement. In addition, a small number of Roman finds represent the use of the locality in late antiquity.
The area around Lake Pfäffikon
Besides finds from the wetland settlements of Wetzikon-Robenhausen and Wetzikon-Himmerich, individual finds from other areas around Lake Pfäffikon have been presented and put side by side for the first time. In so doing, questions regarding the structure and organisation of the settlement landscape were raised and put into context with the body of information currently available.
Fibres used in the manufacture of archaeological textiles are full of information. Unfolded micro... more Fibres used in the manufacture of archaeological textiles are full of information. Unfolded microscopically, analysis of such textiles and furs has become an important fi eld of archaeological study. Fibre type and even fi bre processing may become visible. Scanning electron microscopy has made analysis of metal-replaced and charred fi nds possible, something that was not determinable by light microscopy. Examination under the SEM has enabled a new world to become visible and is so presented in this book. A variety of archaeological examples and their modern day counterparts are assembled as well as a chapter devoted to the historical background of each fi bre and its use in Europe.
1031 Neolithic and Bronze Age textiles found in 30 likeside settlements until 2006 in the canton ... more 1031 Neolithic and Bronze Age textiles found in 30 likeside settlements until 2006 in the canton of Zurich (Switzerland) are presented. Most of them are dated to the Neolithic period (in layers of 4300 BC to 2400 BC), some are Bronze Age. It is a unique body of finds in Europe, covering a wide chronological range.
In this study we present an early history of creating longitudinal three-dimensional textile stru... more In this study we present an early history of creating longitudinal three-dimensional textile structures, which might be produced by folding and pressing ready-woven cloth, but also by various spinning and weaving techniques such as spin patterning or barred damasks. They all have ONE thing in common: they result in the visual appearance of a pleated structure, a three-dimensional longitudinal pattern which produces a special effect. In this article we follow the history of pleated structures from 4000 BC to AD 1000. Archaeological textile finds from Central and Western Europe with some glimpse of Egypt are the basis of the different aspects of garments with pleats or a ribbed structure – including some thoughts on body language, visual effects and textile identity. We review well known finds and present new data. Pleated textiles have been known for centuries, even millennia! Such attempts to produce three-dimensional structures started in prehistory, already during the late Neolithic Period. Linen textiles woven in tabby found in lake-dwellings and dated to the 4th millennium BC show diagonal lines woven in twill. These lines in another pattern than the main weave tend to be higher and three-dimensional. Later in Iron-Age pleated garments have been created by experimenting with spin-patterning. Pleated garments are well visible on pictorial sources of that period. During the Early Medieval Period, pleated garments have been made technically in two ways, either by hand-pleating after weaving or creating the pleats in the weave (so-called “Rippenköper”, a twill variant). It seems to have been a fashion worn by rich Germanic women (tunic) and men (mantle); the variant with woven pleats have been made only in Alemannic areas (South Germany/Bavaria and North-East Switzerland).
En 2002, des fouilles menées par l’Inrap (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventi... more En 2002, des fouilles menées par l’Inrap (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives) à Saint-Dizier ont permis la découverte de trois tombes mérovingiennes de trois tombes d’une richesse exceptionnelle – une femme, deux hommes et un cheval. Après plus de 15 années de recherches pluridisciplinaires, cette publication livre les résultats des études menées sur cette découverte exceptionnelle qui éclaire notre vision des pratiques funéraires, du costume de la parure et de la vaisselle, caractéristiques de l’élite franque au début du VIe siècle.
TRUC M. C. (dir), Saint-Dizier « la Tuilerie » (Haute-Marne), Trois sépultures d’élite du VIe siècle, Publications du CRAHAM, Presses universitaires de Caen, 297 p. , 2019
In 2002, excavations were carried out by INRAP at Saint-Dizier which allowed us to discover three... more In 2002, excavations were carried out by INRAP at Saint-Dizier which allowed us to discover three merovingian burials with exceptional treasures, dated from around the begin ah the 6th century.
These burials are interpreted as those of a frank military chiefdom to which the king had to give territories to control the military conquests of the Franks.
After more than 15 years of multidisciplinary research, this publication presents the results of the studies carried out on this exceptional discovery, which provides information of funerary practices, and material culture (jewellery, weapons, costume, containers) characteristic of the Frankish elite at the beginning of the 6th century. These publication aim also to understand how the elites shaped and influenced the territory.
En 2002, des fouilles menées par l’Inrap (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives) à Saint-Dizier ont permis la découverte de trois tombes mérovingiennes de trois tombes d’une richesse exceptionnelle – une femme, deux hommes et un cheval.
Après plus de 15 années de recherches pluridisciplinaires, cette publication livre les résultats des études menées sur cette découverte exceptionnelle qui éclaire notre vision des pratiques funéraires, du costume de la parure et de la vaisselle, caractéristiques de l’élite franque au début du VIe siècle.
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Papers by Antoinette Rast-Eicher
Les 154 tombes fouillées rue du Mûrier entre 2000 et 2005 ont fait l’objet d’une analyse approfondie. L’anthropologie biologique caractérise cette population essentiellement par son état sanitaire et ses activités, et fournit des pistes pour les études comparatives. L’attention portée aux pratiques funéraires, à travers l’anthropologie « de terrain » est fructueuse : mise en évidence de lits, brancards ou coffres à l'intérieur de coffrages de bois, et d'éléments périssables (coussins céphaliques, matelas, végétaux, vêtements ou linceuls, chaussures). Les restes textiles, parmi lesquels un exceptionnel fragment de soie, complètent cette approche. Le mobilier, relativement abondant, témoigne d'échanges avec le secteur rhénan, l'Angleterre saxonne et les territoires wisigothiques. Outre des comparaisons typologiques, un bilan régional, parfois élargi, est proposé par type d’objet : fréquence, position, répartition par sexe… Quelques bijoux remarquables ont été étudiés du point de vue des techniques d’orfèvrerie et de la provenance des matériaux.
Cette étude du site funéraire enrichit la réflexion sur le devenir des agglomérations secondaires antiques. Les caractères particuliers de cette population, de ses pratiques et de son mobilier sont définis. Ces données matérielles sont mises en regard avec les sources écrites, afin de percevoir la nature de l’occupation à Louviers au haut Moyen Âge.
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Wetzikon-Robenhausen
The core of this publication is the analysis of the excavation records and finds from the wetland settlements at Wetzikon-Robenhausen. These were explored by Messikommer in a series of excavations spanning almost sixty years and presented to a worldwide audience in numerous publications. Not only did he tirelessly monitor the alterations to the course of the River Aa, thus preserving a multitude of important finds for posterity, but he also made a significant contribution towards the establishment of the neighbouring disciplines archaeozoology and archaeobotany by consistently recovering biological remains.
Numerous written documents provide a unique opportunity to reconstruct Messikommer’s excavations in Robenhausen. In so doing, we were able to associate many outstanding finds with particular excavation campaigns and thus with certain locations so that old finds have regained a certain degree of archaeological context, which was thought to have been lost. Messikommer’s commercial activities with all aspects of conserving and networking could also be reconstructed in an extraordinarily detailed manner. This means that the finds which were sold to museums here and abroad in order to fund the excavations can be viewed in a different light today. The finds from the 19th century excavations now play a completely different role as carriers of research historical and conservational information.
Thanks to the various data collected in the context of a site inventory compiled in the 1990s, it was possible to compare some of Messikommer’s findings with newly gathered field data. This comparison revealed that his records were very reliable and are indeed suitable as starting points for future research endeavours. This compatibility between the old and the new excavation data is all the more surprising, given the great complexity of the stratigraphy in Robenhausen due to the outstanding state of preservation of the organic components within the layers. We were able to reconstruct a rough image of the settlement sequence based on the old excavation records, the data and the old finds. The earliest deposits dated from the Early Pfyn Culture. These were followed by settlement remains from the Middle and Late Pfyn Cultures, the Horgen Culture, the Corded Ware period and finally the Early and Late Bronze Ages. This settlement sequence is partially supported by radiocarbon and dendrochronological dates.
An assemblage of loom weights recorded in situ is particularly worth noting. It was found in 1999 in a burnt layer associated with almost 30 textile fragments. It is quite likely that this was a Pfyn-period weaving frame, which had been destroyed during a conflagration and had collapsed on top of a multitude of finished and half-finished textile products. Various archaeological and archaeobotanical features indicated that a surplus of textiles may have possibly been produced in the Pfyn Culture. Several separate accumulations of wild animal bones (aurochs, European bison, badger, marten, hedgehog, deer) point to a hitherto rarely documented kind of waste disposal in the Pfyn Culture. Particularly noteworthy were two features with aurochs and European bison bones, as they were found in association with human skull remains.
The rich assemblage of finds represented the entire known range of organic and inorganic remains usually found in Northern Alpine wetland settlements. Outstanding finds were Pfyn-period crucibles, numerous perforated axes made of rock, axes made of antler as well as wooden artefacts, including several unique implements. A large number of textile finds from the earlier excavations were also of immense importance.
Wetzikon-Himmerich
This wetland settlement on the southern shore of Lake Pfäffikon was discovered by Jakob Messikommer in the late 1850s and has become known in research circles thanks to a small assemblage of Middle Neolithic potsherds. Apart from these, hardly any relevant information about the site has been presented up to now. Gathered up in the 19th and 20th centuries, many of the finds are not easily accessible, which means that they can only be presented in a summarising overview. The assemblage includes artefacts from the Middle Neolithic Grossgartach group, the Cortaillod and Horgen Cultures as well as from the Late Bronze Age. Some rather undiagnostic shards may point to a Pfyn-period settlement. In addition, a small number of Roman finds represent the use of the locality in late antiquity.
The area around Lake Pfäffikon
Besides finds from the wetland settlements of Wetzikon-Robenhausen and Wetzikon-Himmerich, individual finds from other areas around Lake Pfäffikon have been presented and put side by side for the first time. In so doing, questions regarding the structure and organisation of the settlement landscape were raised and put into context with the body of information currently available.
Pleated textiles have been known for centuries, even millennia! Such attempts to produce three-dimensional structures started in prehistory, already during the late Neolithic Period. Linen textiles woven in tabby found in lake-dwellings and dated to the 4th millennium BC show diagonal lines woven in twill. These lines in another pattern than the main weave tend to be higher and three-dimensional. Later in Iron-Age pleated garments have been created by experimenting with spin-patterning. Pleated garments are well visible on pictorial sources of that period. During the Early Medieval Period, pleated garments have been made technically in two ways, either by hand-pleating after weaving or creating the pleats in the weave (so-called “Rippenköper”, a twill variant). It seems to have been a fashion worn by rich Germanic women (tunic) and men (mantle); the variant with woven pleats have been made only in Alemannic areas (South Germany/Bavaria and North-East Switzerland).
Après plus de 15 années de recherches pluridisciplinaires, cette publication livre les résultats des études menées sur cette découverte exceptionnelle qui éclaire notre vision des pratiques funéraires, du costume de la parure et de la vaisselle, caractéristiques de l’élite franque au début du VIe siècle.
These burials are interpreted as those of a frank military chiefdom to which the king had to give territories to control the military conquests of the Franks.
After more than 15 years of multidisciplinary research, this publication presents the results of the studies carried out on this exceptional discovery, which provides information of funerary practices, and material culture (jewellery, weapons, costume, containers) characteristic of the Frankish elite at the beginning of the 6th century. These publication aim also to understand how the elites shaped and influenced the territory.
En 2002, des fouilles menées par l’Inrap (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives) à Saint-Dizier ont permis la découverte de trois tombes mérovingiennes de trois tombes d’une richesse exceptionnelle – une femme, deux hommes et un cheval.
Après plus de 15 années de recherches pluridisciplinaires, cette publication livre les résultats des études menées sur cette découverte exceptionnelle qui éclaire notre vision des pratiques funéraires, du costume de la parure et de la vaisselle, caractéristiques de l’élite franque au début du VIe siècle.